Greg Graffin: Population Wars
Every now and again, we will come across something that perfectly expresses our feelings, thoughts, and experiences. Never has this been more true for me than when I read Population Wars by Greg Graffin, frontman and songwriter for the legendary Bad Religion. Greg, along with being a talented and accomplished musician, is an accomplished author and professor. Population Wars is a sort of analysis of our ability (or inability) to coexist. He talks in depth about our desire as a species to find an enemy in every threat and work to eliminate it - fruitlessly.
The book reading was a very unique experience, to say the least. I won't go into too much detail, so as not to spoil it for prospective attendees. The show was intimate and casual
(with of course one comical drunk, stumbling around in his "American As F**K" t-shirt and shouting his approval of the performance. The stage was bare save for a few microphones, a table, two chairs, and Greg's life-long friend - who played the banjo for this performance. Greg would play a song or two and step up to the table and read several pages from his book. After talking, he would often offer more intimate information of his life and experiences in relation to the pages he had just read. After this, he would play a well-known song - preluding it with an introduction to reveal the relationship.
Overall, I would recommend this show to anyone interested in expanding their perspective or is a Bad Religion fan and can appreciate the thought put into each song. My only disappointment was not being able to attend the signing after show because I didn't purchase a book on site (my copy was at home.) Despite this, it was enlightening and enjoyable.
